Container



May 11, 1943. \G. c- ERB 2,318,603

CONTAINER Filed Jul 19; 1940 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented May 11, 1943 UNITED STATES CONTAINER George C. Erb, Forest Hills, -N. Y., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 19, 1940, SerialNo. 346,420

1 Claim. 01. 220-48) This invention relates in general to containers and more particularly to a novel end constructionof container body and end closure which is readily severable to open the container, after which the end closure may be used as a convenient reclosure.

An object of the invention is the provision of a sanitary container having a novel end construction, including body and end closure parts, which construction provides a cutting zone which may be readily cut or severed without thecutting means or any of the out parts coming in contact with the contents of the container and for these reasons the invention is especially adapted for embodiment in sanitary food containers.

- Another object of the invention is the provision of such a novel container body and end closure construction wherein certain body and end closure walls are shaped and spaced to confine .the cutting to a predetermined line and wherein other body and end closure wall parts are in tight frictional engagement with each other to prevent the cutter or any out parts coming in contact with the contents of the can and also to provide a reclosure of the friction plug type. -Still another object of the invention is th provision of such a novel body and end closure construction having its various parts cooperatively arranged so that a rotary cutting tool comprising a feed roll and a cutting roll is supported and accurately guided during the cutting operation.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a novel body and end closure construction which can be formed economically with only a slight change in existing body and end forming devices and which does not interfere with the attainment of a tight and if desired hermetic joint between container body and end closure.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a container embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the upper part of the container and end closure construction and also shows in perspective the cutting and feeding parts of a rotary cutter in position for the cutting operation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the container and end reclosure in separated, superposed position.

Referring now to the drawing in more detail, a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated and exemplified in the several views, comprises a cylindrical container of sheet metal such as tin plate or other suitable material, having a body H, a bottom end closure secured to the body I I, as by the usual double seam l2 and a top end closure l3 secured to the body I I, pref erably also by the usual double seam l4. When the container is constructed'of sheet metal such as tinplate, the bottom and top double seams l2 and 14 comprise the usual interlocked body and end closure flanges forming the usual five thicknesses or layers of body and cover material.

The body H for its major part has a straight cylindrical wall IE, but near its top and below the double seam Hi, the material of the body wall is bent inwardly at a substantial right angle to the straight body wall [5, to form a horizontal wall part l6, then slightly upwardly to form a vertical wall part ll, then outwardly to form another horizontal wall part I8 slightly spaced from and parallel with the wall part It. The material of the body'wall is then bent upwardly again to form a vertical wall part 19 which is in vertical alignment with the straight body wall l5 and which merges into the body flange which furnishes two layers of body material for the double seam Hi. Th body wall parts 16, H and 18 thus form an inwardly turned annular head A between the body walls l5 and Hi. This bead A is capable of accurate sizing in order to serve as a tight fitting friction wall for engagement with an accurately dimensioned friction Wall of the cover l3.

The top cover or end closure I3 inwardly of its marginal flange which is interlocked with the body flange to form the double seam l4, merges into a vertical or countersink wall part 2| which runs parallel with and tightly hugs the Wall part l9 and is then bent inwardly to form a substantially horizontal cover Wall part 22, which in turn is bent downwardly to form a vertical friction wall 23 which runs parallel with the body wall parts 15 and I9 and frictionally engages the body head A. The cover wall 23 in turn is bent inwardly and continues to form a horizontal panel 24 which completes the end closure l3. Such an arrangement of the body and cover wall parts leaves an annular space B between the body and cover, which space cooperates with the rotary fitter in confining the cutting to the body wall In order to open the container above described, a cutter of the rotary type is used or may be adapted for use. The opener illustrated and exemplified in Fig. 2 essentially comprises a rotary cutter roller 25, of hardened or tempered steel, which is preferably tapered and is provided with a sharp annular cutting edge 26, and is operatively supported on a roller shaft 21, which is journalled in parts and driven by parts not here shown. A propelling or feeding roller 28 having a small diameter roller portion 29, which engages the cover wall part 23, and having a large diameter roller portion 3|, which engages the cover wall parts 2| and 22 and is supported by the latter, is mounted on a. shaft 32 and is adapted to frictionally engage the stated cover wall parts and cooperates with the cutter roll 25, assisted by connecting and driving parts (not shown) to propel the cutter roll 25 and itself around the periphery of the container.

When the cutter roll 25 [is in the cutting position illustrated in Fig. 2 and the cutter is operated, the cutting edge 26 coincides with an annular line of severance which is about in the center of the body wall part l9, which helps to define the annular space B between the body and cover. When the cutter roll 25 and the feed roll 28 are rotated, a clean cut is effected through the wall l9 and the cover 13 is separated from the body 1 l at both ends. Also that the invention is not necessarily limited to the use of sheet metal in the construction of the container but that it may be adapted to other materials.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention provides a novel body and cover construction especially adapted for sanitary sheet metal food containers, but also applicable to other containers, which may be eifectively out along a clean line of severance without bringing the cutter parts or the cut container parts in contact with the container contents and which has all the advantages heretofore mentioned and The result of this cutting operation is clearly shown in Fig. 3, where it is seen that the cutting operation leaves a body flange I9a slightly bent downwardly by the cutting pressure and also leaves a cover flange I911. The remaining body H and separated cover I3 may then be reassembled, the cover parts 23 and 24 fitting within the body bead A and forming therewith a tight friction plug reclosure.

It will be appreciated that when the end seams l2 and M are required to be liquid or air tight it is desirable to interpose a packing or sealing compound material between the interlocked body and end closure flanges in a suitable and well known manner.

Also it is understood that the body and cover construction above described may be used at either the bottom or top end of the container or other advantages which have not been specifically mentioned.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

A sanitary container adapted to be opened by a cutting tool without contact with the contents, comprising a body member, a closure member, an end seam uniting said members along their marginal portions, an inwardly formed reinforcing and spacing bead in said body member having close parallel wall parts extending inwardly of and substantially normal to said body member, closely spaced from said seam, said bead extending continuously around said body member, a wall portion of said closure member extending from said seam and adapted to engage said bead throughout its length in a tight frictional contact to form a closed annular space between said members, and a portion of said body member forming a wall enclosing said annular space and adapted to be cut through by said cutting tool, the cutting edge of said tool penetrating into said annular space between said seam and said bead during the opening operation, the bead at such time serving as a support to facilitate the cutting operation.

GEORGE C. ERB. 

